Tech entrepeneurs send message to Congress opposing PROTECT IP

139 tech entrepeneurs are sending a letter to US legislators warning that PROTECT IP would stifle innovation and job growth.

PROTECT IP is a bill being considered in the US Senate, with a companion bill expected soon in the House Of Representatives. It would create a government controlled blacklist of websites ‘dedicated to infringing activities’, requiring ISPs to redirect DNS requests for those sites so they can't be reached from inside the US.

One of the key complaints in the letter is that PROTECT IP would break the DNS system, a key component of the Internet.

We heard the same criticism two weeks ago from Paul Vixie, who said an important DNS security measure called DNSSEC won't be implemented if PROTECT IP is signed into law. Vixie told us under PROTECT IP DNSSEC, "will never be commercially viable."

The letter primarily focuses on the standards set out in PROTECT IP for determining what constitutes a website ‘dedicated to infringing activities’.

It points out some lessons about the history of copyright and technology, saying:

Historically, overzealous rightsholders have tried to stop many legitimate technologies that disrupted their existing business models and facilitated some unauthorized activity. The following technologies were condemned at one point or another - the gramophone (record player), the player piano, radio, television, the photocopier, cable TV, the VCR, the DVR, the mp3 player and video hosting platforms. Even though these technologies obviously survived, many individual businesses like DVR-maker ReplayTV and video platform Veoh were not so fortunate - those companies went bankrupt due to litigation costs, and sold their remaining assets to foreign companies.

In addition, it talks about the burden PROTECT IP would place on small tech companies, contrasting it with current law:

One of the key reasons why startups and innovative small businesses became the success stories we know of today was protection from misguided lawsuits under the safe harbors of Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). By properly putting the legal liability on the actual actors of infringement rather than third-parties, Congress wisely ensured that service providers, such as many of the companies represented in this letter, could flourish.

PIPA would put new burdens and possible liability on independent third parties, including payment processors, advertising firms, information location tools and others. The definitions here are incredibly vague, and many companies signed below could fall under the broad definitions of “information location tools,” meaning costly changes to their infrastructure, including how we remain in compliance with blocking orders on an ever-changing Internet.

Finally, it criticizes a provision of the bill which would allow private companies to take action on their own. All you have to do is look at the list of supposed rogue sites compiled for media companies to see how how ridiculous that is.

The list includes The Internet Archive, BitTorrent's official site, RapidShare, MegaUpload, YouSendIt, and even a torrent site dedicated to Linux and FreeBSD distros.

In addition to DNS filtering, blacklisted sites would be cut off from using payment processing services or being listed on search engines.

Quote:you wont be saying that when the bill passes. it matters not, who opposes who anymore, what does matter is if you can contribute to the senators retirement fund or not.

1. I not live in the USA.
2. I do not favor this bill at all, so to expand on my earlier comment. US has a way of making more enemies than they do allies, should this bill pass it will also affect how sites work outside the US. It also risks setting a world standard.
3. I wish all of congress would step down and have a revamp of people in the hot-seats that actually understand the issues they represent rather than flap their mouth off in hopes of gaining extra $ that will never come.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 09 Sep 2011 @ 10:14

Someone told me once that theres a right and wrong, and that punishment would come to those
who dare to cross the line.
But it must not be true for jerk-offs like you.
Maybe it takes longer to catch a total asshole.

The bill will pass and here's why? Everyone who truly cares about this will sit silently and idly by and do/say nothing other than posting comments on sites like this one! They won't write/call congressman or senators to let them know how they feel. Even if some do, most won't! Even if most do, they've already proven that they don't have to listen to us and won't listen to us! They'll do what they've been bribed to do instead of what the American people tell them to do! Democrat, Republican, Independent, House of Commons, Labor Party, Green Party, Tea Party it doesn't matter. After blowing smoke up our butts with lip service, they'll do what they have been bribed to do! That is the reality of it!

Originally posted by YOBUZZB: The bill will pass and here's why? Everyone who truly cares about this will sit silently and idly by and do/say nothing other than posting comments on sites like this one! They won't write/call congressman or senators to let them know how they feel. Even if some do, most won't! Even if most do, they've already proven that they don't have to listen to us and won't listen to us! They'll do what they've been bribed to do instead of what the American people tell them to do! Democrat, Republican, Independent, House of Commons, Labor Party, Green Party, Tea Party it doesn't matter. After blowing smoke up our butts with lip service, they'll do what they have been bribed to do! That is the reality of it!

Here, Here. I believe it is called the illusion of freedom.
No one does anything because we all know the truth is, we the people are not a big corparation that is going to give massive amounts of money to a Senator's or Political Parties "Political Campain Fund". We the people are out of luck and we know it, so really posting comments like this is all we have. Till they find a way to take that away, with like the Protect Ip Act.

If they do not like what they say they can just blacklist your site, post whatever. Bye Wikileaks.

So this is what it looks like when freedom dies.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 10 Sep 2011 @ 23:55

Quote:Here, Here. I believe it is called the illusion of freedom.
No one does anything because we all know the truth is, we the people are not a big corparation that is going to give massive amounts of money to a Senator's or Political Parties "Political Campain Fund". We the people are out of luck and we know it, so really posting comments like this is all we have. Till they find a way to take that away, with like the Protect Ip Act.

If they do not like what they say they can just blacklist your site, post whatever. Bye Wikileaks.

So this is what it looks like when freedom dies.

If we don't teach our children properly, get involved and turn this kind of thinking around, freedom in this country will surely die!